5 comments about Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials, Fitfth Edition.

1. not timely delivered, the condition of the book is not good



2. I used this text in a thermo of materials course after using the Gyftopoulos text for a general thermo course. In comparison, I found the Gaskell text horrible. For a 4th ed, there are a tremendous number of typos and equation errors, the nomenclature is a little odd, and the equations aren't general, they inherently assume P = 1atm etc. I don't recommend this text.



3. Thermodynamics is one of those topics covered in multiple branches of science such as physics, chemistry, geology, materials science, chemical engineering, etc... This book approaches the subject from materials science and is meant to serve as the book for a one or two semester course in thermo. First of, it is not meant for beginners to thermo. I used this book in a course taught by one of the best instructors in my department, after having taken two easier courses in thermo. Yet I still found it difficult. Second, the math is advanced enough that one should not take the course without having differential equations. Third, the example problems can get quite difficult real quickly; and not all have solutions. But overall, the text is a good reflection of the subject; difficult and time-consuming to master.



4. I used this book for my course in Materials Thermodynamics, and I must say that it's got some pretty good material and also some poor parts. In particular Gaskell usually does a good job of explaining his derivations, but there are times when the typographic errors get in the way and you sit there for an hour, until your teacher finally tells you that Gaskell made a mistake.
   
   Another annoyance is that Gaskell's solutions in the back of the book are sometimes wrong, which means that it may be difficult to use a self-teaching book. In addition, Gaskell's solutions to some configurational entropy problems are just completely unconventional and nonsensical from an intuitive standpoint -- my teacher told us to disregard his method entirely.
   
   The text does have some pluses: it has plentiful diagrams, excellent thermodynamic appendicies, and in general does a good job of rigorously explaining every concept. It's definitely not a beginner's book, but Thermodynamics is a complex topic and there are certain assumptions made of the reader in any Thermodynamics textbook.



5. Great Resource. There are a few typos that have been addressed in the later edition, but overall this edition flows well and is well organized.

5 comments about The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea.

1. The Oil and the Glory is the interesting and scandalous tale of greed, corruption and risk taking by the largest oil and gas companies in the world as they fought over the rights to the huge amounts of crude oil located in the Caspian and Eurasia region. While the author does describe the beginnings of the oil boom in Azerbaijan in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the vast majority of the book takes place in the last several years after the fall of the Soviet Union. To be honest, there were exciting sections in this book; there were also some tiring sections as well. I read this book because of my interest in history and project finance. For the reader with more knowledge and experience in the oil industry or with the Caspian region, this may be a much more exciting book.



2. This book describes events that took place over ten years ago. It deals with recent history, but it reads like journalistic reportage. This would have been fine in 2000 when Caspian oil was still the "in" thing. But events have moved on, the Caspian is different now, and this is no longer cutting-edge stuff. As usual with "reportage" (as opposed to proper history) the book is full of major and minor inaccuracies. The use of sources is very selective and hence an incomplete and subjective picture of events is given. Key characters are misrepresented or ignored. I know this because I worked in this area during the period covered by the book. Although Levine discusses the Caspian oil and gas geopolitics of the 1990s, he fails to make it a unifying theme, which would have made the book more coherent. It is a brave attempt to encompass exciting events in the recent past, but it fails to provide a definitive and elegant account. The prose is good, and sections would stand well on their own as separate articles, but the whole does not hang together. The level of detail is at times bizarre, reflecting poor editing. I read it all because I lived through the events described, but at times I wondered why anyone without a special motivation would be interested in such obscure descriptions of old oil deals and half-colorful characters.



3. When I first saw this book in Borders, I didn't want to buy it. I was worried that the narrative would bog me down in "dead history" while addressing the relevant, modern day stuff in the last part of the book.
   
   The other thing that put me off was that the dust jacket had an endorsement from Seymour Hersh on it. I don't like Hersh's style of journalism ...sensational claims, very thinly sourced. I thought that was a sign of the same problem with this book.
   
   Having read "the Oil and the Glory," I'm happy I took a second look. It shed light on an aspect of foreign policy and US energy industry of which I had been all but oblivious. As for the "dead history," the book only spent a few opening chapters on things that happened a long time ago, and the author wrote about them in such an interesting and relevant way, I enjoyed them as much as the modern history.
   
   There were so many different aspects of the book that enjoyed so I won't try to name them all. First, the book is a huge and very easy to digest foreign policy lesson to the reader about the oil business and its intersection with US national security.
   
   Second, I found the way that the oil companies had to chase continuously after the oil riches rather instructive. Contrary to some people's rhetoric, the oil companies don't just have wealth handed to them. They have to work for it and take risks and sometimes, even after all that, it disappears.
   
   Another useful part about the book is the story of UNOCAL and its flirtation with the Taliban in the late 1990s over the idea of building a pipeline crossing Afghanistan. The author shows that this was never much more than a half-crazy dream that foundered on the reality of the Taliban's fundamental barbarity and friendship with Osama Bin Laden. It's worth keeping in mind when you hear hardcore leftists like John Pilger insist that the US operations in Afghanistan were nothing more than a grab for the pipeline instead of self-defense in the aftermath of September 11.
   
   Finally, I have some new found respect for some aspects of the Clinton administration's foreign policy. I hardly think that Clinton was a foreign affairs virtuoso, but I can't deny the fact events in the Caspian have turned out generally to the US's favor...thanks to a large degree to wise statesmanship on the part of his administration.



4. As a third generation oilman, I found Steve Levine's book about Caspian Oil to be a must read for any petroleum industry professional that has an interest in the Caspian component of our global industry. This book serves as an excellent reference book as well as entertainment. Levine's interesting accounts of the players and government operatives that have a hand in developing another "super giant" oil and gas province is at times, quite informative and illuminating. I feel that even though the book may not be totally up to date, it nevertheless will provide a fundamental understanding of the politics and manipulations that inevitably occur when countries and world leaders jocky for their piece of the black gold. This book should also be read by so-called environmentalists and those that want a life without fossil fuels, including the 6,000 primary products that are derived from crude oil, such as plastics we humans use from cradle to grave. It would be interesting to hear intelligent arguments, for once, from the anti-oil crowd after the have fully studied our industry and how damn difficult it really is to keep the inhabitants on this planet supplied with the means to live in a modern world and not something approaching life in the caves where we all came from. It is petroleum, as well as natural gas, that help propel the earth's population into a better existance, but at the same time, when the god-given resource is mishandled and manipulated, as this book documents many such occasions, it is not hard to see why every significant war in the last century had blood and oil involved and not much has changed in this new century. The riches of the Caspian can be used for enormous benefit to populations affected or be squandered by the likes of despots and vile power mongers as this book also enlightens the reader. The Caspian resources are a temporary treasure that if handled judicially and with proper foresight, will vastly improve the lives of millions of people, but as this book points out through its endless cast of characters, accomplishing those higher goals is often quite difficult even with experienced and seasoned professionals. Steve Levine has a well written dispaatch from one of the more mysterious places on earth.



5. The story of Caspian oil for commercial use began in the late 19th century as the value of oil surged with the development of industry and transportation. This story has been brought to life by Mr. Steve Levine in a remarkable tale that focuses on the pivotal players involved. Following the initial development of the Baku oil fields, the area assumed military importance in 2 world wars and then became cloaked under the proprietorship of the Soviet Union. It was not until the breakup of the USSR that Caspian oil became accessible to foreign development. Levine has managed to make direct contact with many of the players active in the post Soviet rush to grab a piece of the Caspian oil action. These players include senior corporate executives, national leaders, state representatives and a handful of individuals eager to cash in on the bonanza waiting to be grabbed and divided. Levine has captured their stories and created a tapestry of contemporary oil history that weaves together endless skeins of personal greed, power, and money, along with national interests of power, wealth and defense.
   What could have been told as a good guy / bad guy tale is instead described as a multi-player chess game, engaged on a multi-sided board of shifting squares and re-invented principals. International state teams vie with international self-serving teams of private and public corporations. Players drop allegiances and trade sides, stakes shift with the political winds, agreements forged over months fall flat overnight. Levine circles around the table examining the team players, gathering their play books. He unveils how various deals grow and then collapse forcing the players into new rounds. It is not often that one is given an inside look at how governments and businesses "play" together to reach their aims, which are often not similar. Here we are pulled into the backrooms where such "play" takes place. This particular chapter of oil history is extremely engaging and well told. May whoever writes the next chapter do so with the clarity and detail of Mr. Levine.

5 comments about Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials (5th Edition).

1. I think that the book is very good on the fundamentals of manufacturing and a must read. It serves as an excellent reference book in my opinion and is well worth its high price tag.



2. This book is one of the best in manufacturing engineering, even if there are a few mistakes in some mathematical deductions. I think it is a very didactic and easy to learn book, it shows almost every manufacturing process used by modern industry.



3. This book is one of the best in manufacturing engineering, even if there are a few mistakes in some mathematical deductions. I think it is a very didactic and easy to learn book, it shows almost every manufacturing process used by modern industry.



4. The emphasis of this book seems to be more on the basic mechanics of the different processes it describes. That's fine, and important to understand manufacturing, but...

   BUT, he gives very little attention to how the material being processed responds to the processing. Without a better understanding of the microstructural effects -- and ensuing DEfects -- it may be too hard to troubleshoot the processes described in this book.

   My professor was flipping through the early chapters of this book (where the materials issues are presented) and declared them "cheesy."

   So, to sum up: this good book becomes great by combining it with other books/courses/professors/etc that will interject materials issues into this books discussion of the mechanical issues.




5. i was privileged enough to have dr. kalpakjian as a teacher in college before he retired. we used his 3rd edition as our textbook. now as i start my career in engineering, i am finding that i need to refer to the book! i borrowed the book in college for his class and am now buying a copy for our office. a great reference. very well thought out book with excellent diagrams. worth every penny.

5 comments about Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, 5E.

1. nice book the price is high but you'll be happy that you have it!



2. as a homeowner considering central air and seeing how idiot contractors screw people firsthand, I wanted to learn as much as I could about refrigeration and HVAC before hiring anybody. This book is great, from a design and selection standpoint on refrigeration all the way to installation and maintenance practices. I can easily see why it's a college textbook, too bad my college texts back in the day didn't explain the subject as well. You can basically read this book and understand refrigeration without taking a class.



3. Many pictures, good text, complete, I recommend it. For all those that begin and they are already work in HVACR. The only problem is that it doesn't work with units international system (metric). It could be an international book. Greetings from spain.



4. After "retiring" for the second time in my life, I found myself in a position to attend "re-training" due to the fact that I had closed my corporation after selling my business. In other words, the state considered me "unemployed". One of my options was a trade school and their programs. HVAC\R seemed interesting so I went with it. The above mentioned book was the standard issue. At first I was very pleased with it, although I did struggle to get through the chapters. I thought it was me, although in my first four "courses" I was carrying a 99% average, and tutoring younger students in Manual J, Manual D, and Heating Controls. It wasn't me. As I have had time to study this industry at my own pace, taking courses when I want, and taking time off to hone my skills with those in the business, I find that there are many books available that are much easier to understand, read,and follow. These "other" books contain as much, if not more practical information, and relate to real world requirements much easier, without having to decipher what the edited author intended. Had I not been "given" this book as a part of my "tuition", I would now be screaming for my money back. For what ever it is worth, one of the authors has written books on his own and they are excellent. I actually purchased several for "fellow students" that were struggling and these students were helped immensely. Perhaps it is the company that published the book. I am not sure. But I do know that I have looked at other books published by the the same company and have either returned them or not purchased them in the first place. Just my opinion. I may be correct, I may not.



5. Unlike some textbooks which no one would buy unless they have to...this one is great if you're a technically-minded homeowner who wants to learn about your house's HVAC systems. It gives a lot of useful and well-presented information for the price. Also covers commercial systems.

5 comments about Chemical, Biochemical, and Engineering Thermodynamics.

1. For a consolidated science as thermodynamics is, a concise textbook is a must. I consider Sandler's one as a top quality study material carefully conceived to give the reader a serious chance of really understanding the power, beauty and applicability of thermodynamics. However, to study from this book is a long-haul task and may not be wholly appropriate to undertake it as a part of an undergraduate course in chemical engineering thermodynamics, not unless you specially like the subject.
   On the other hand, for the graduate student set to perform research on the area, it is definitely a good starting point. Indeed, that is my current situation, having studied only the first starting chapters so far.
   In any case you better borrow it from the library and have a look on the book beforehand, otherwise chances are it will stand on your shelf unread until the entropy attains a maximum.



2. As already indicated, it has mistakes throughout, from the differential equation derivations to the data in the steam tables.
   
   The book is not very redeeming, the author(s?) seem to have a very difficult way of conveying even the simplest point. The book goes much more in depth than any engineering student would need.
   
   Don't even try to read through it either, this simply has proven itself to not be one of those kinds of books. To me, its a nice introduction to concepts, then you have to read the practice problems to actually understand whats going on.



3. The book level is indeed a little bit high for an undergraduate student, in the other hand, it's very practical in representing how to perform REAL and USEFUL calculations. I have two degrees in chemical and Process Engineer, and if you are a person who must work very often with process programming and simulation, this book is essential. If you're looking for more common information, basic concepts and definitions (enthalpy, cycles, steam tables, etc...), maybe you should try other books first, like Smith and Van Ness', or Van Wylen's book. It's mostly a book for chemical and process engineers, I wouldn't recommend it for mechanical, electric or other engineering fields.



4. I cannot believe that some people have given this book a bad review because they think that this book goes to in depth, covering areas that any engineer would not need. This book is extremely important for chemical engineers, dealing with 1st and 2nd law, cycles, chemical equilibrium, and reactors, areas of extreme importance for chemical engineers.
   
   What I like about this book is how the author starts from the big picture, and from there specific examples are derived. Let's put it this way, if you are a chemical engineer, this book will definetely help you understand one of the hardest classes in our curriculum; ChE thermodynamics.
   
   I should also emphasize that the understanding of this class is also going to depend on who teaches it.



5. This is a good book on chemical thermodynamics. However, it has relatively little to say that most biochemists, bioengineers or biochemical engineers will find interesting or useful. The title of the new edition is therefore a curiosity. It may be an echo of the recent change of name of many a university chemical engineering department. A book that integrated chemical thermodynamics, chemical engineering and biochemistry would be nice to have, but this book is not it.

5 comments about Process Dynamics and Control.

1. Process dynamics and control is a vast subject, profoundly important for maximizing value in plant operations, but unfortunately often neglected by undergraduate students. This book by three of the most illustrious professors of chemical engineering distills their expertise and wisdom, as teachers with about 100 years combined teaching experience, into a highly accessible and cogent textbook. The book contains excellent discussions and expositions of just about all the technical concepts one would ever need in industrial practice. The example problems are juicy, to say the least, and complement the text very nicely. Those who know how to use Matlab or Mathematica will benefit hugely from solving the computer problems. In my opinion, this book should be a required text for all undergraduate chemical engineering programs, along with the book by Prof. Harmon Ray and B. Ogunnaike (Oxford).



2. I have just finished a postgraduate course in process dynamics based on this book. I have a maths background so I found some of the concepts hard going at the start of the course. I have used this book costantly throughout the course and I have found it to be excellent. It has really helped my understanding of the subject, so much so that I want to write my Master`s thesis in process engineering and process dynamics. I have enjoyed everything about the course and it is all because of this book.



3. 
   This book is an introductory course that provides an appropriate balance between process control theory and practice. In particular it emphasizes on dynamic behavior, physical and empirical modeling, computer simulation, measurement and control technology, basic control concepts, and advanced control strategies.
   
   The mathematical level of the book is oriented toward a junior or senior student who has taken at least one course in differential equations. Additional mathematical tools required for the analysis of control systems are introduced along the book as needed. The book emphasizes process control techniques that are used in practice and provides detailed mathematical analysis only when it is essential for understanding the material. Key theoretical concepts are illustrated with examples.
   
   The book is divided in four parts. Part I (chapters 1 to 2) provides an introduction to process control and an in-depth discussion on process modeling. The development of dynamic models for representative processes, like a stirred-tank blending system are used as illustrative examples throughout the book.
   
   Part II (chapters 3 to 7) is concerned with the analysis of the dynamic behavior of processes. A key issue is the determination of the transient response that occurs after a process disturbance occur, a grade change is initiated, or a process is started up or shut-down. Important analysis toll are introduced, the Laplace transform and the transfer function. For many practical control applications, it is not feasible to develop a physically based, dynamic model. For this the important topic of empirical models and their development from plant and process data are presented. Both continuous-time and discrete-time models are considered here.
   
   Part III (chapters 8 to 15) addresses the fundamental concepts of feedback and feedforward control. The topics included the PID controller and an overview of the process instrumentation and control hardware and software that are necessary to implement process control, The important relationship between process design and process control is emphasized, and a whole section is dedicated to process safety. The design and analysis of feedback control systems, as well as new methods for controller design, tuning, and troubleshooting receive considerable attention. This part concludes with a chapter on feedforward and ratio control.
   
   Part IV (chapters 16 to 24) is concerned with advanced process control techniques. The topics include digital control, multivariable control and enhancements of PID control, such as cascade control, selective control, and gain scheduling. Powerful techniques like real time optimization and model predictive control (MPC) that have had significant impact on industrial practice are covered on dedicated and separated chapters. Also process monitoring, batch processes control, and plant-wide control are also developed on individual chapters. Illustrative case studies are included in this part of the book.
   
   Even though the book is designed for Chemical Engineering students, I truly believe that this text would also be suitable for industrial practitioners and students in mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineering. I am an Industrial Practitioner of Process Measurement & Control who has been working in the Process Industries for more than 16 years as an Automation, Instrumentation, Process Safety and Process Control Engineer. My academic background is in electrical and electronics engineering (I am an Electronic Engineer), not in chemical engineering as might be the case of the usual reader of this book, but working in the Oil & Gas Industry all this time, I have been dealing with Chemical-Process Control issues in a day-to-day basics. I found this book to be a very useful reference and refresher to gain a better understanding of Modern Process Control Applications.
   
   The book is organized in reasonable short chapters what makes it more readable and modular, which makes it also suitable for self-study by engineers in industry.



4. Overall, this book helped me make sense of a fairly difficult course. Unfortunately, I would often find myself spinning my wheels trying to solve example problems and derive equations that were full of typos. I know all textbooks have errors, but this one seemed worse than most. I would highly recommend downloading the errata list before reading anything. The book provided pretty clear explanations of most topics, but some things were out of order and seemed a little confusing. Rudimentary topics that had been used throughout the entire text and were necessary to understand parts of many chapters were explained late in the book and were often difficult to find. Many of the example problems also did not show solutions in enough depth.



5. So to begin, This book was absolute hell. It gave a pretty good overview of what the class was about. But it contains over 200 errors (don't believe me?? go to the wiley site) this made the class incredibly hard to do because when I had assignments I would end up proceeding and come to a hault and realize my answer wasn't correct. I would come to find out that that problem contained an error in it. If you are really into this type of major then I would say to choose a different book

4 comments about Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (The Mcgraw-Hill Chemical Engineering Series).

1. I received the book, but not what I was expecting. The book was advertised as a hardback, but the book received was paperback. The book was an international edition, and not for resale in North America.



2. This is a solid thermo textbook. Goes over concepts and theories fairly well. There are plenty of worked out examples throughout the chapters and appendixes so you know what you're doing. The authors explain everything in a clear and cohesive manner. Somethings are overwhelming, but it is thermodynamics. Plenty of appendixes for steam tables, interroplation, unit conversions, and virial equation constants, etc.
   
   I suggest you get the Schaum's outline as a good reference too.



3. No one can even think about any flaw for that book. Wonderful book. Amazon's service is the best too



4. As far as text books go, this one is not bad. It's decently well written and put together. There are a lot of graphs and diagrams to explain the material.There are not as many example problems as there need to be, but the questions at the end of the chapter are very straightforward. Not a very extensive reference section either.

5 comments about Design of Wood Structures-ASD/LRFD.

1. Now in it's sixth edition, this book has become the standard text on the design and construction of buildings made of wood. While most wooden structures are residences, the book also covers multi story wooden structures such as apartment houses, commercial buildings with wooden roofs, and to a limited extent newer techniques such as glue-laminate beams.
   
   The book is suitable for use either as a text for a course or as a reference for self study. The sixth edition of this book was promoted by five major developments:
   
   1. Publication of new dual-format (ASD/LRFD) wood design criteria in the 2005 National Design Specification for Wood Construction.
   
   2. Publication of the new Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) Supplement to the NDS.
   
   3. Publication of the comprehensive ASD/LRFD Manual for Engineered Wood Construction.
   
   4. Publication and increased adoption nationally of the 2006 International Building Code. ==5. Publication of updated load standards in the 2005 edition of Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.



2. Excellent. Very well organized and numerous examples. I have followed this author from 3 of his previous editions of this book.



3. This book is easy enough to understand for beginner and detail enough for experienced engineer. Well structured, cover not only ASD but also the LRFD design. As a complement, reader should also pick up the NDS manual for reference of timber property. And also the ASCE 7-05 for design load.



4. The book came in great condition, looked like it hadn't even been opened. Very fast delivery. smooth transaction



5. We used this in our Timber Design class and it was fantastic. It covers both ASD and LRFD effectively. We also used the NDS as a course supplement in order to find stress values and other important design factors that are not in the textbook. Another supplement that would help is the Minimum Design Loads for Buildings And Other Structures (ASCE 7-05). All in all, a great textbook for students or reference guide for any practicing professionals.

5 comments about The Art of Writing Reasonable Organic Reaction Mechanisms.

1. I bought this book to practice mechanisms because I'll be taking a physical organic class in the spring that uses them heavily. I used this book instead of sitting in on a sophomore organic class, because by job as a TA conflicted.
   
   Anyway, this book is extraordinary. Dr. Grossman has taught me so many things about how to write a correct mechanism and how to recognize a bad mechanism when I see one. The book is written in a very clear and friendly manner and it's really quite hard to put down when you start reading it.
   
   The book also has practice problems and the book's website has the answers, giving even more incentive to practice mechanisms.



2. This book is excellent for reaction mechanism. This book is helpful for the undergraduate's organic chem 2 and the grad school's reaction mechanism class. I learned how to move the electron in reasonable way. So in one word, this book is awesome book that I ever read for practicing reaction mechanism.



3. For people who love organic chemistry, this book provides a basic guide for people to learn some basic but fundamental details of organic chem mechanism.The fourth chapter is expecially worthy reading. Moreover, Chapter 6 provides people with a rough idea of what's going on in organometallics filed.



4. This is a great book. It is a "must have" for any organic chemist.



5. I haven't finished reading this book yet but it seems very good. It is very easy to read and it is very informative. I would recommend this book to anyone who has taken organic chemistry, is going to study organic chemistry n graduate school, or as a supplement to any mechanism class.

5 comments about Perfumes: The Guide.

1. I expected a light, dumb read. What I got was the most hilarious and thought-provoking book I've read in the last five years. They explain the technicalities of the subject as directly and patiently as your favorite high school teacher, but the reviews are acidic and laugh-out-loud funny (My friends are sick to death of me calling them to read them passages.). When you consider how intimately scent is linked to both attraction and memory, it's amazing that so little attention is paid to it. It amazes me how little attention I'VE paid to it. I bought this book less than two months ago and I've read it twice and refer to it almost daily. I've read in a couple places that they might be starting a newsletter or magazine of some sort. It would be a shame if they didn't.



2. Having loved perfume my whole life I found this book fascinating. Yes, there are many negative comments but it's the first time I ever read a review of perfumes that actually expressed anything but over the top compliments for every fragrance and manufacturer.
   I honestly learned a lot about what it takes to create a good fragrance and I've been trying some of the ones they recommended, especially the classics that I never considered buying before. So far I've been pleased with every choice (Shalimar, Angel, several Estee Lauder scents) and have enjoyed the experience.



3. This book is a fascinating view into the world of perfume. While cursorily interested in fragrance, I had never before been overly concerned with the art of notes, accords, and blends. Now I'm eager to go about and smell perfumes with a fresh new understanding and appreciation.
   
   Caveat - be prepared to have your favorites slaughtered or mercilessly derided by the authors. This didn't bother me at all, but sensitive souls (read: the easily offended) may want to avoid.



4. Yes, BUT! I was dancing with anticipation when the library finally delivered this to me. I am not a "perfumista" and I think I have a terrible nose for things. I am also a sucker for adverts, I admit it! So I was really interested to see so many perfumes reviewed in one volume.
   
   Gone are the silly and ultimately unenlightening magazine tags of "fruity," "floral," and "sexy." LT and TS delve into depth for those perfumes that merit such attention, and for others, two words often suffice. I have no qualms whatsoever about the tone of this book, which many seem to think cruel or overly snipey. I may like it because, well, I talk that way myself.
   
   However, I also have some serious complaints. It's not just that they dislike some fragrances that I like, etc. but LT's overall theory of perfume and its application in this guide leaves me cold. Perfume is something intimately tied to memory and personal taste. I cannot accept that perfume does not smell different on different people, as they posit. I tried Guerlain's Shalimar, which they rate as a masterpiece, but to me and on me it smells like wet baby diapers. Ew.
   
   I was trying to think of an example: Those scientific chaps have shown that most of our sense of taste is really our sense of smell (this is why when you have a stuffy nose your food tastes off). Let's say a person absolutely abhors food X in any form. This person goes to the best restaurant in the world and the best chef at that restaurant prepares a complex and beautiful meal that also contains X. The person will still dislike it. Even though food critics may have lauded that dish for its mastery of ingredients, complexity, etc, that person will still hate it.
   
   However, I learned about fragrances I never knew about before and have tried some of them with good results. But lots of brands and popular fragrances were completely omitted? Where's Fresh? Hard Candy? Gap?
   
   I hope they revise this with new fragrances every year. I'll probably read it, but not buy it. And take everything with a handful of salt.



5. First, let me state clearly that I used to value Luca Turin's work, and I'm enthusiastic about "The secret of scent". It is his name which attracted my attention to this Guide.
   Second, I did check authors' synopses on the back page. Dr. Turin holds a PhD in biophysics and writes about perfumes. For the little I know biophysics is not perfumery. Ms. Sanchez is an expert and avid perfume collector, writes on the Internet, lived in San Francisco and now in London. Now, how many prospective readers of this Guide don't collect perfumes, don't write on the Internet, didn't change a place of residence? OK, there is one difference - we don't claim to be experts.
   Bemused by this preliminary finding I set out to explore the book. The faults I found are so many I will just enumerate them.
   1) Text is uneven. Parts written by Turin (all text is initialed) flow easily, making for effortless reading. Sanchez's penmanship seems heavily indebted to tabloid prose, only it achieves higher level of sentence convolution. Copious references to "mom" and "dad" made me wonder if this book targets the adolescents.
   
   2) Products selected for inclusion. A lot of these brands and fragrances is just noise. We either can't buy them in the USA, or they were shortly on the market and disappeared. What's the point of including these products, in particular since many are branded as either "disappointing" or "awful"?. (Though it does give an idea why some perfumes are not available this side of Atlantic.)
   Remaining selections are either staple Sephora, or department store niche, say Creed or Annick Goutal.
   
   3) Products not selected for inclusion. I looked for some the well-known names - Panthere de Cartier, Shiseido's Feminite du bois, Hermes' Rouge, Versace Blonde, Jardin du Nil MPG (do not confuse with Le Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes) - futilely. The whole brand of Molinard is dispensed with "cheap floral scents" and only Habanita merits the review. So-called niche is limited to few brands, as a rule available at department stores. Don't expect to find here any mention of DelRae, Nanadebarry, Christiane Gelle, Shalini or Fifi Chachnil of the frolicsome flacon. Not sure if the authors heard about Montale, MPG makes an appearance only once or twice. (Strangest of all, considering the taste exhibited in perfume rating - more below - they left out Avon.) Space does not allow me to list all what is missing.
   At first I thought that the authors just pander to the interests of major department stores, but then checked again and yes, Trish McEvoy is also absent, so it's not department stores. Of course with the sheer number of perfumes on the market they had to make some exclusion choices, but what was the criteria? Perhaps product selection reflects the French/British market. Why, then, this book had been offered to the American public at all? Product selection should be adjusted to the local market.
   
   4) Style of critique. Typical review is limited to up till three lines of qualifiers, intended to explain the fragrance's rating, which ranges from "masterpiece" to "awful". Any Internet-based retailer gives better "reviews" just by listing ingredients and comparable fragrances. This Guide is nothing better than a guide to personal tastes of the authors.
   
   5) Tastes of the authors. Yes, they asked for it, by employing peculiar style of critique, see 4). Syrup, syrup ueber alles! True perfumery masterpiece sags under overload of vanilla and assorted kitchen odors, with generous hints at soiled underwear. Flowers, or rather "insect attractants", are deemed olfactorily inferior. Price is not a factor in rating, though price is said to reflect quality of ingredients; several affordable masterpieces may be found in the "personal care" section of your local food mart. Four labels - Guerlain, Estee Lauder, Chanel and Dior - dominate the field. Out of the three, two are owned by LVMH and only one has perfumes as its primary product. Given all this, I don't understand how the Authors could overlook Charlie!
   The Authors never reveal their evaluation criteria.
   
   6) Precision of execution. Sample case, Bulgari Black, which is rated "masterpiece" (did the Authors ever sniff the original Black, which reeked of burning rubber, and burning rubber alone? it wasn't pretty, but it was indeed outstanding in a very unappealing way. There is no mention of it in the review, while so many other scents come with history of all releases; current version of Black reeks of suburban mediocrity). The last sentence: "its place is with Bandit, Tabac Blond, and Cabochard among the great emancipated fragrances of all time". Now let's look at the ratings of the "great emancipated fragrances of all time". Bandit - a masterpiece; Tabac Blond - awful; Cabochard - disappointing. What did the Venerable Authors smell besides perfumes?
   
   7) Presentation method. All products are listed alphabetically, followed by lists of "top ten" and all grade categories - masterpieces, recommended, disappointing, awful. Needless to say any such ranking functions only either as personal confession, or an attempt to influence prospective buyers. Judging by distribution of masterpieces across giant marketing firms we are dealing with the latter. That's why, perhaps, any absence of groupings and indexes based on the brand, creator, or the fragrance content.
   
   On the positive note, I have absolutely no problem with the nasty tone of many reviews. Nasty wit can be wickedly funny and illuminating, though here it is neither, due to excess of clichés worn out by constant use in all texts on fashion, style and glamour. It doesn't matter anyhow, since the Guide totally fails in its purported mission. It is just another boring oeuvre on "style" (yes, "style" and not style), intended by its creator as a money-maker and directed at the newbies. Newbies are always numerous and impressionable, so it is rather easy to get them enthusiastic about - and spending on - anything.
   
   Footnote: I did not buy this book, in spite of previous positive experience with one of the authors. Decided to borrow it first and check. And the verdict is: I will not buy this book and will not bother with any consecutive editions. Better to spend on some perfume not listed in this guide.